RCW 70.105E.040 Duties of the department of ecology to regulate mixed wastes.

(1) The department of ecology shall regulate mixed wastes to the fullest extent it is not preempted by federal law, pursuant to chapter 70.105 RCW and the further provisions of this chapter.

(2) Any facility owner or operator of a site storing, managing, processing, transferring, treating, or disposing of mixed wastes shall apply for and obtain a final facility permit under chapter 70.105 RCW, this chapter, and the federal resource, conservation, and recovery act (RCRA), 42 U.S.C. Sec. 6901 et seq., as amended, before transporting to, storing or disposing at, the facility any additional mixed wastes not generated at the facility. At any facility granted a sitewide permit, under which permits for individual units are appended or become individual chapters, final facility permits must be applied for and obtained, for each unit or facility within the site where mixed wastes are, or will be, stored or disposed, prior to transporting to, storing or disposing at, the facility any additional mixed wastes not generated at the facility.

(3) The department shall not issue any permit requested under subsection (2) of this section unless the facility owner or operator is in compliance with the requirements of chapter 70.105 RCW, this chapter, and RCRA, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 6901 et seq., as amended, for obtaining and maintaining a final facility permit for existing mixed wastes stored, treated, or disposed of at the facility.

(4) If any sites, units, or facilities have interim status or an interim status permit, but fail to meet requirements for maintaining interim status under chapter 70.105 RCW, this chapter, or RCRA, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 6901 et seq., as amended, including but not limited to groundwater monitoring and compliance requirements, the department shall find that the applicant for a final facility permit for mixed wastes under this section has failed to demonstrate compliance for purposes of obtaining such a permit pursuant to subsection (2) or (3) of this section.

(5) The addition of new trenches or cells, or widening or deepening of trenches, at a site with existing trenches containing mixed wastes shall be considered an expansion of the existing facilities for purposes of compliance with chapter 70.105 RCW or this chapter, and any permit or permit modification for such expansion shall be subject to the requirements of this section.

(6)(a) The department shall not issue a permit, or modify any existing permit, allowing for the treatment, storage, or disposal of any additional mixed wastes not generated at the site or facility as part of a remedial or corrective action, until:

(i) The site or facility is in full compliance with the requirements of chapter 70.105 RCW, this chapter, and RCRA, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 6901 et seq., as amended, for obtaining and maintaining a closure permit for any facility or unit from which a release of hazardous substances has occurred or is threatened to occur, after characterization and corrective action; or

(ii) The department has issued a formal determination that no further remedial action is necessary to remedy such a release pursuant to chapter 70.105D RCW.

(b) The prohibitions of this subsection (6) against granting or modifying a permit apply whenever a release of a hazardous substance, including but not limited to releases of radionuclides and any other carcinogenic substances, has occurred at a site or facility, and such release, or the cumulative impact of all releases at the site, are projected by the department to have the potential to exceed the following standards:

(i) Surface or ground water standards established pursuant to federal or state laws, including but not limited to maximum concentration limits, drinking water, or other standards; or

(ii) Cleanup or other standards adopted to protect human health or the environment pursuant to RCW 70.105D.030.

(7) Until all the requirements of subsection (6) [of this section] have been met, the department shall, by permit condition, limit any new construction of, expansion of, or final facility permit for, a facility for treating, storing or disposing of mixed waste to the capacity or size necessary for investigation, characterization, remediation, or corrective action of facilities or units undergoing closure, or remedial or corrective action at the site.

(8) The department may grant or modify permits pursuant to chapter 70.105 RCW solely for the purpose of remediating or closing existing facilities or units where there has been a release or threatened release of mixed wastes, if the permit expressly bars the storage or disposal of wastes that are not generated on-site pursuant to a remedial action, closure or corrective action approved by the department pursuant to this chapter or chapter 70.105D RCW.

(9) The department may permit specific treatment capacity at sites subject to the limitations of this section to be utilized for remediation or clean-up wastes from other sites, consistent with a site treatment plan approved by the department pursuant to RCRA, 42 U.S.C. [Sec.] 6901 et seq., as amended; provided that the department determines, after public notice and comment and consideration of impacts and alternatives in an environmental impact statement prepared pursuant to chapter 43.21C RCW, that use of such capacity will not: (i) Significantly increase any emissions, discharges, risks or consequences of potential accidents; (ii) result in permanent disposal of imported off-site wastes in the soil at the site; (iii) be stored in excess of any applicable time limits, or any applicable requirement; or, (iv) impact funding for cleanup and corrective actions at the site or, result in delay of treatment or remediation of wastes at the site.

[2005 c 1 § 4 (Initiative Measure No. 297, approved November 2, 2004).]

NOTES:

Reviser's note: As to the constitutionality of this section, see note following chapter digest.